Web Watch: American and international craft

1. Room 406: What’s a concept venue, you might well ask.

Before I clicked on this site, I would not have been able to tell you. To be quite frank, I’m still not 100% sure, but I do know it’s very classy.

Room 406 is a concept venue — with a focus on the “highest levels of American and international craft”. We’re talking vintage furniture, small-batch textiles, rare artifacts, hand-thrown ceramics and contemporary art. They say on the site they work to support rural makers and preserve traditional ways of living. So that’s good.

Based in Chicago’s historic west Grand Design District, apparently the gallery welcomes visitors “with its open kitchen, fireplace, bright skylights and flowing layout”. Now that’s a nice concept.

* room406.com.

2. Aria: A lovely touch on this site is the ‘Friends Near By’ section, they’ve got Things to See, Where to Eat, Places to Go, it’s like an old buddy showing you around their neighbourhood. In this case it’s London’s Islington, so how bad. You can expect an “eclectic range of contemporary home furnishings and lifestyle accessories as well as special collaborations with local independent designers”. You can read the journal (that’s right, they have a journal) along with a pencil sketch of Claire — check out her 70s style issue from Mar 5, it’s lovely. They make things very easy for you: you can shop by category, for him, for her, for the home, or if you know the brand you’re after, they divide it up that way too. You’ve got your Charbonnel et Walker, your Bodum, your Magis. It’s all there. Very aspirational, very nice.

* www.ariashop.co.uk